EU member states ignore F-Gas Registration deadline

Five EU Member States have failed to respond to a European Partnership for Energy and the Environment (EPEE) survey on their compliance with F-Gas Regulation.

According to the EPEE, Denmark, Italy, Lithuania, Greece and Malta did not respond to its survey. EPEE did concede that neither Malta nor Greece could be reached either by phone or email with their survey update, but Denmark, Italy and Lithuania had failed to respond.

The deadline for the implementation of F-Gas Regulation passed on 4 July. The Regulation now stipulates that all EU Member States ensure that only companies with certified technicians can purchase fluorinated gases for refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump installations.

According to the EPEE, in order to check the implementation status of the Regulation across the EU it contacted all 27 Member States.

Twenty-two responded, twenty of which were already compliant. Slovakia and Latvia admitted they would not be compliant before September 2009. However, five Member States failed to respond to the survey.

The EPEE, whose membership comprises of companies who produce, install and design heating, cooling and refrigeration technologies, has urged the governments to make sure that the proper administrative measures are put in place as soon as possible.

The high Global Warming Potential (GWP) of F-gases has raised environmental concerns. Hydroflurocarbons (HFCs), perflourinated carbons (PFCs) and sulphur hexaflouride, all used in appliances such as refrigerators, air conditioning systems and thermal insulators, are three of six greenhouse gases identified by the Kyoto Protocol. This is alongside C02, methane and nitrous oxide.